Graduate Application

M.A. Degree in Islamic Texts

Graduate Program Overview

Zaytuna’s Master of Arts degree in Islamic Texts is intended to provide students higher-level access to the Islamic tradition through a guided course of study in Islam’s primary sources. The master’s degree is a two-year program that culminates in a summative thesis. The program is intended for students who have completed a degree in Islamic Studies or in such ancillary fields as theology and philosophy, Arabic language and literature, and Islamic jurisprudence or history. Applicants must demonstrate substantial knowledge of the Islamic tradition. In addition, the master’s degree seeks students who can read, discuss, and engage the primary Arabic texts of the Islamic tradition at an advanced level. 

The course of studies includes advanced Classical Arabic language and literature, Qur'an, Qur’anic commentaries, Islamic Philosophy, Theology and Mysticism, Islamic Law, and the History of Islam. Furthermore, in each of the concentrations there is a comparative track that will allow the student to study texts in the European tradition that parallel the Islamic texts in their ideas and methods. For example, the study of Islamic Philosophy can be augmented by the study of Latin Scholasticism, or the study of Islamic Mysticism by the readings in Greek Neoplatonism.

The goal of our master’s-level courses and teaching methods is to sharpen the student’s ability to read and analyze primary texts and consider the socio-religious contexts and scholarly sources out of which such texts emerged, while continuing to engage in well-reasoned academic and scholarly discussion and research. Students will also be introduced to methods and research tools in both the Western and Islamic traditions. 

Applicants to the Zaytuna MA program must possess advanced competency in Arabic. Accordingly, before acceptance into the academic program, all students will be required to take an Arabic language exam. Students who do not pass this exam and yet show significant promise as scholars in the field must raise their Arabic skills to the required level before being admitted into the program. 

Admissions Requirements

  • At least four years of Arabic language studies verified by passing a qualification examination administered by Zaytuna College;
  • A bachelor’s degree in Islamic Studies or a related field;
  • A GPA of 3.5 or higher;
  • At least six courses in Islamic Studies in the areas of the Zaytuna M.A. concentration;
  • Competency in Qur'anic Studies;
  • Sample of best academic writing;
  • A statement of academic purpose; 
  • Three letters of recommendation;
  • Official academic transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended;
  • Must be a U.S. citizen or resident;
  • TOEFL, IELTS or CEFR level scores for non-native speakers of English.

Please click here to start your online application.

Dawood Yasin

Headshot of Dawood Yasin

[email protected]

At Dartmouth College Dawood provided spiritual a...

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Headshot of Dawood Yasin

Dawood Yasin

Email: [email protected]

At Dartmouth College Dawood provided spiritual and religious support, offered educational seminars, and led congregational prayers for Muslim students, and residents of the greater Hanover area. Dawood also worked to foster understanding and dialogue among diverse campus groups by building and maintaining interfaith relations. During his residence in South Africa, Dawood converted to Islam and then spent five years in Damascus studying Arabic, Islam, and spirituality. Upon completion of his studies, he relocated to New Haven, CT where he served as Imam of Masjid Al-Islam. While in New Haven, he also worked as a teaching assistant and engaged in research at Yale University. Dawood also served as Director of Outreach at the Zayed Center for Islamic Culture in the United Arab Emirates, engaging in public speaking within U.A.E. and abroad, emphasizing ethics and tolerance between Muslim and non-Muslim communities. Dawood spent five summers teaching Arabic language at the Zaytuna Summer Arabic Intensive. Dawood has worked with colleagues to establish “Learning Outside of the Classroom” program at Zaytuna College, which includes service learning trips and a revival of traditional athletics found in swimming, archery and horseback riding.

Education: Abu Nour Institute (Islamic Studies), Damascus, Syria 1997-2002, University of Massachusetts at Boston, B.A. Community Studies (2009), Dartmouth College, M.A. in Liberal Studies, Globalization Studies (2017)